. uh .. I guess a wire slipped loose while you were driving, and the electrical went out, just like you guessed.’ ‘ You know, Larry, I check my ca... every month and the connection you fixed COULDN’T come loose, unless some one tinkered with it. Maybe to get a chance to see me.. maybe thinking that car repair is the way to a girl’s heart … maybe stranding me out here in the heat .. maybe… huh …. maybe?’ The mechanic’s eyes darted around the van, looking at the boxes, the walls, the floor,. "Uh uh. Don't wanna." I hug my arms tighter around my legs."Sam, she's your mom. She loves you."I wince, sensing Carly moving beside me. "Leave Sam alone Spence. It's her fault." Carly's voice is hard, and there's this thing in it that I'd never heard before, until now. It's bitter and brittle and it makes me sad, because the Carly I know... the Carly I knew... she never spoke like that. But then, everyone's changed. Everything has... changed.I'm living with Spencer and Carly now. Temporarily.. Ted and I worked feverishly to dig our snow cave and make snow bricks to seal the opening, and we ended up with a very comfortable shelter that was about nine feet deep, six feet wide, and high enough for Laura to stand up in, although Ted and I had to stoop over a little. That would be big enough to allow us to lay down a tarp and pad, and then put our sleeping bag on top, and still have enough room to set up our small burner for cooking. Ted and I had both brought double-wide sleeping bags,. But we'llleave enough on each side for your pretty ribbons." Brian could only liethere completely stretched out as the girls used clippers to shave hishead all over, leaving just two small tufts a couple of inches long onthe top sides of his scalp. After the clippers came the razor and soapywater and before long Brian was as bald as a baby apart from the tuftsof hair. "Fetch me the pink bobbles and white hair ribbons pleaseChristine" asked Maria. The girls twisted the two tufts of hair.